What to Do When You Want to Change the Job?

According to the FOM, 25% of working people are not satisfied with their work. We figure out when to listen to ourselves, and when to try to find a way out without changing our job. These are some tips on ‘what to do when you finally want to change the job?’  

5 reasons for change

You need to listen to negative signals. In addition to constantly thinking about quitting, there are other signs that indicate that a person needs change:

• Negative emotions. Pay attention to the emotional background during and after work. The signal will be a change in mood. Previously, a person returned home with a smile on his face, rejoicing at the success of his colleagues, but now he is attacked by chronic apathy and irritation – which means that something is wrong.
• Persistent illnesses. The body tells you that fatigue has accumulated and it needs time to recover. The first two points are characteristic signs of professional burnout.
• Working for status and money. Salary is a significant, but far from the only factor that affects a person’s satisfaction with the profession and the employer. Not everyone can be “bought”.
• Lack of professional growth and interest in learning. When a person works according to his vocation, he is passionate about his work: he follows new trends, grows professionally and moves up the career ladder if he has such inclinations.
• Career ceiling. After 5-8 years in one organization, this feeling haunts many.

There are other, more obvious symptoms: a lack of understanding with management, an industry crisis, a desire to start your own business, and so on. However, “dropping everything” for an accomplished professional is not the best strategy.

How will an employer notice that an employee is “tired”?

Boredom and professional burnout of employees is a problem that every company faces. Proactive employers prepare for this in advance, thinking over how to involve and motivate “old-timers”. They are often invited to take part in newcomer training or external educational programs. This is how experienced employees feel needed and receive professional recognition from younger colleagues.

Sooner or later, the employer will notice that the employee has lost interest in work, and his productivity has decreased. Carrying out tasks from other departments and duties that are out of character for the position and sudden activity outside of work (for example, a hobby that generates income) are all signs of fatigue from current tasks.

To prevent burnout-related layoffs, HR managers run satisfaction surveys that include questions about employees’ attitudes toward the nature of the job, position, and duties performed; as well as research to determine the current motivation of the staff to understand what to offer employees to keep them in the company. Individual HR managers in charge of business units conduct scheduled and unscheduled conversations with the team to analyze the microclimate and the situation in the workplace.

Also read : How do our social interactions impact our behavior?

What to do if you want to leave?

Ideally, the employer and employee should first take a step towards each other. Much depends on the capabilities and scale of the company: not every organization will offer an employee an interesting way out for him. We recommend trying:

1. Just talk to the manager . Most of us periodically want to change our style, dye our hair or grow a beard. But far fewer people are actually ready for change. Sometimes an honest conversation is enough to let off steam.
2. Switch to another team . Maybe in another department in a similar position, the work is built differently: it is more structured and predictable, there is a pleasant boss and interesting tasks.
3. Take on new responsibilities . There are situations when the same tasks become boring and exhausting. If an employee is satisfied with the company & likes the position and salary level. He can take part in volunteer projects: many employers support social initiatives. In addition, such work develops leadership qualities and strengthens the team.
4. Get retrained . Already during the training, it becomes clear whether you like a new profession or not. Of course, not every employer is willing to pay for courses or transfer to another position. But sometimes such experiments are encouraged.
5. Get an internship in another department . In some companies, temporary movements are a mandatory practice: for example, office employees stand behind the counter for two months. So you can better understand business processes and identify best practices and share experiences. A change of scenery helps you look at work differently, and sometimes becomes a step towards a change of profession.
6. Get into freelance work . If it is not possible to keep the employee on the staff, the employer can conclude a GPC agreement and involve a specialist as a freelancer. This is a good option when you need time to sort out your desires.
7. Find a new place . If you categorically do not like the rules, the culture of the company, or the salary, then it is hardly worth waiting for imminent changes. The main thing is not to confuse alarm signals with simple fatigue: everyone needs a rest sometimes.